Amritsar (National Times): Punjab’s NRI Affairs Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal and Power Minister Harbhajan Singh ETO met with Indian nationals who were recently deported from the United States upon their arrival at Amritsar Airport. The second batch of deported individuals, who had allegedly migrated to the US illegally, landed in Amritsar on Sunday, February 16, 2025.
This marks the second flight of deportees to arrive in Punjab since US President Donald Trump’s inauguration. The group was promptly received and is now being sent to their respective home states across India. The first batch of over 100 deported individuals arrived on February 5, 2025, aboard a US Air Force plane.
On Saturday, February 15, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann assured the public that all necessary arrangements were made for the deportees. He emphasized that they would be treated with respect and care during their brief stay in Amritsar. “Our children are the ones coming here, and from here, no one will go hungry. We will make all the necessary arrangements for them. They will stay here for a few hours before heading to their home states as flights have already been booked by the Ministry of External Affairs,” Mann said in a press conference.
Mann had earlier criticized the central government for its handling of the deported nationals. In a statement on Friday, he alleged that there was a deliberate attempt to tarnish the image of Punjab and its people. “There is a conspiracy to defame Punjab and Punjabis. The first plane landed in Amritsar, and now the second will also land here. The Ministry of External Affairs should clarify the criteria based on which Amritsar was chosen for this operation. It feels like Amritsar is being targeted to defame Punjab,” he said.
Earlier this week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed India’s readiness to repatriate its nationals living illegally in the US. He also highlighted the importance of dismantling the human trafficking “ecosystem” and expressed confidence that US authorities under President Trump would cooperate fully in this effort.
